If Only
by MondoMage
Summary: One-shot. My own little insight into what may have been going on elsewhere during the last part of the movie. Spoilers within. PG for some suggestive elements, but nothing overt.


A little glance into what may have been happening elsewhere during the final part of the movie. PG for some suggestive elements, but nothing any worse than what's in the movie itself. Enjoy.

SPOILERS WITHIN : If you've not seen the movie, and do not wish to be spoiled on certain elements of the ending, proceed no further. Here there be monsters.

Also - should I have really mucked up some point of continuity (which is not at all beyond the realm of possibility) feel free to let me know. Reviews and critiques are welcome and asked for.

- Thanks to Beautiful Mind for pointing out my misidentification of the OmniDroid (don't know where "OmniBot" came from)

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If Only...

A "The Incredibles" Fanfic

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Mirage sat quietly in the control room, watching the video feeds as Mr. Incredible and his family battled to stop Syndrome's OmniDroid from rampaging through the city's financial district. Syndrome was nowhere to be seen, having vanished immediately after the robot broke free from his control. She wondered briefly whether she should activate the homing beacon in his suit, to see if he required assistance, then decided against it. Syndrome had made his bed, let him lie in it.

_Idiot,_ she mused. His intelligence was only matched by his arrogance. How was it that he missed the warning signs? Mr. Incredible had destroyed the OmniDroid initially sent against him, had escaped from Syndrome's own clutches and evaded capture for longer than any of the other Supers that had met their fate on the island, had infiltrated the complex and tapped into the central computer without anyone realizing it, had even managed to overpower the confinement field - if only briefly - and attempted to seize Syndrome by force.

She reached up and idly touched her face, his scent still lingering. Musky, masculine, confident. Everything that Syndrome wasn't. Well, she corrected, Syndrome _was_ confident, _over_confident. Which made her wonder why she herself didn't see the warning signs before.

Five years. She had been in Syndrome's employ for five years. Initially she had been drawn to him because of his obvious talent, and the power that seemed to gravitate naturally to him. The weapons he designed were in high demand, and powerful men kowtowed before him, seeking to curry his favor as they themselves jockeyed for power in the myriad brushfire wars that they clandestinely perpetrated across the globe. Which, in turn, drew her to him as well. As she had told Mr. Incredible once before, she had a weakness for powerful men. And Syndrome was, indeed, a powerful man.

No. Not a man. A powerful boy. Old enough to be a man, but when she finally had the chance to compare him side-by-side with a _real_ man, Syndrome came out sorely lacking. Mr. Incredible was powerful, and not just in the physical sense. He was a man of principle, of presence, of purpose. Even after he thought he had lost everything, he still had his principles - he could have easily killed her, to try and convince Syndrome to release him after he believed his family killed, and yet he could not do it. He _would not_ do it. Would not compromise his principles, even when he had nothing left.

He was also, she noted with a wistful glance at the monitors, undeniably unavailable. She had flirted openly with him, partly because she had been ordered to, and partly because she wanted to. With Mr. Incredible, the playful banter came easily. More easily than with anyone else she had ever known. More easily than she would have ever believed possible.

She smiled at the thought.

And yet, even with his wife and family thousands of miles away, he had never sought to indulge in anything more than banter. Even after she made it clear that she was open to the idea, he remained true to his family. How many other men had she known who were not so dedicated?

On the monitors, the OmniDroid tipped sideways into the river and exploded. She heard the commotion outside of the control room as the enormity of the moment began to sink in amongst the base personnel. She rose to her feet and brushed her skirt smooth. It would only be a matter of time, now.

A nearby door swished open and she turned to the henchman standing there, nervously shifting his weight from foot to foot. She watched him for a moment, hiding her smile at his discomfort. "Yes, what is it?" she asked finally.

"I was... that is... we, well, a few of us were, uh, wondering..." his voice faltered for a moment, then he regained his composure, looking up to face her eye-guard to eye. "What now, ma'am?"

She her head slowly to the monitors, which were showing hundreds, if not thousands, of cheering people crowding around the Incredibles and Frozone. "It would appear that our employer's plans have come to naught. It will only be a matter of time before the authorities arrive." She turned back to face him. "Anyone found here will undoubtedly be arrested and charged in connection with our employer's... activities. I suggest that you and the others evacuate immediately."

The henchman considered her words before turning back to the door. Just before he passed through, he looked back at her. "And you, ma'am? What will you do?"

She nodded at him. "I'll stay and erase all the computer records. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine."

He looked at her a moment before nodding and heading out through the door.

She turned and walked back to the monitors. Reaching up, she touched the screen that was showing a close-up of a smiling Mr. Incredible, his son hoisted up on his massive shoulders. Heaving a resigned sigh, she quickly tapped a series of commands into the computer terminal, initiating the memory purge. As the computers whirred to life she sat back down and leaned back, a contented smile on her face.

It would be a simple matter for her to slip away before the authorities reached the island, she knew. But she had helped in the terminations of dozens of Supers, tracking them down so they could face their ends at the metallic hands of the various generations OmniDroid, and she felt enough remorse over that alone to remain and face whatever came. Mr. Incredible had shown her the way - even when everything is lost, one still has their principles. Too long had she chosen to ignore that little gem of wisdom.

No more.

So, she leaned back in her chair and waited for the arrival of the authorities. And as gazed longingly at the monitors, she couldn't help but wonder what it would have been like had Mr. Incredible not been quite so principled. _If only..._

_If only..._


End file.
